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Composition of selected heavy metals in road dust from Kuala Lumpur city centre

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Abstract

This study was carried out in order to determine the concentration of heavy metals, e.g., lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni) and chromium (Cr) in road dust in Kuala Lumpur’s city centre. Samples were collected from four sampling locations, each of which had four sampling points and three replications. Heavy metals from different fractions of particles separated by different diameter sizes: d < 63 μm (Fraction A), 63 < d < 125 μm (Fraction B) and 125 < d < 250 μm (Fraction C) were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The results from this study showed that concentration of heavy metals was dominated by the smallest particle size: <63 μm and that Fe was the most abundant heavy metal overall, followed by Cu > Mn > Zn > Pb > Ni > Cr > Cd. The fact that Cd had the highest enrichment factor value (EF) for all particle sizes indicates that anthropogenic activities contributed to the presence of this metal. There was also a higher EF value for heavy metals in small particle (Fraction A), compared to Fraction B and C, which suggests that fine particles were being produced through anthropogenic activities. Cluster analysis and principal component analysis demonstrated the likelihood of the heavy metals detected in the road dust, originating from road traffic and industrial activities.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia for the Research University Grant (DIP-2012-020). We also would like to thank the Ministry of Education for its Fundamental Research Grant (FRGS/1/2013/STWN01/UKM/02/2). Special thanks to Ms K Alexander for proofreading this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Science and Technology, School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

    Nur Mun’im Mohd Han, Mohd Talib Latif, Murnira Othman & Noorlin Mohamad

  2. Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Environmental Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

    Doreena Dominick

  3. Department of Engineering Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030, Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia

    Noorlin Mohamad

  4. East Coast Environmental Research Institute (ESERI), Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Kampus Gong Badak, 21300, Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia

    Hafizan Juahir

  5. Environmental Research Group, Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030, Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia

    Norhayati Mohd Tahir

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  1. Nur Mun’im Mohd Han
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Correspondence to Mohd Talib Latif.

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Han, N.M.M., Latif, M.T., Othman, M. et al. Composition of selected heavy metals in road dust from Kuala Lumpur city centre. Environ Earth Sci 72, 849–859 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-013-3008-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-013-3008-5

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